It was meant to be a quiet stop — just Jimmy Fortune, alone at the small cemetery where Harold Reid rests beneath a simple headstone in Staunton, Virginia.
But what happened after that visit has left fans concerned, and now Don Reid is gently confirming the truth behind it.
“It got to him,” Don said softly. “That last visit to Harold’s grave… it stirred something deep. He needed time.”
According to Don, his longtime friend and fellow Statler Brother, Jimmy Fortune had scheduled several solo appearances in the weeks that followed. But after kneeling at Harold’s grave and spending nearly an hour in quiet reflection, Jimmy quietly pulled out of multiple shows — not for health reasons, but for healing.
“He told me, ‘Don, I can’t go onstage right now and pretend I’m okay,’” Don shared. “He loved Harold like a brother. And sometimes, even years later, the grief just finds its way back in.”
Fans have long known about the close bond between the Statler Brothers — not just as musicians, but as a family built on friendship, laughter, and faith. And while Jimmy joined the group later in their career, his connection to Harold was instant and profound.
They shared the stage. They shared prayers. And they shared the kind of mutual respect that doesn’t fade with time.
“Grief doesn’t always follow a timeline,” Don said. “Some days you carry it just fine. Other days, it carries you.”
Though Jimmy has not made a public statement, those close to him say he is spending quiet time with family and drawing strength from faith and reflection.
“He’ll be back,” Don assured fans. “He just needed to step away for a moment. To honor Harold in the way only Jimmy can — through silence, through tears, and through remembering.”
And when Jimmy Fortune returns to the stage, it won’t just be with songs —
It will be with a heart full of memory, singing not just for the crowd… but for Harold.
